Brow blindness is a new and trendy term making the rounds on social media on social to highlight brow blunders that many of us have been guilty of by wearing a trending brow that doesn’t fit your face.
“It's about someone falling for a trend that might not necessarily suit them but can’t see it for themselves,” explains Ruth Atkins, Refectocil UK head trainer.
We spoke to Atkins about "brow blindness" and how we can help our clients avoid it…
Why is everyone talking about brow blindness at the moment?
"With brows being a hot trend for the last few years, whether they’ve been super dark with sharp dimensions or over-the-top brow laminations giving a ‘werewolf’ brow – brow blindness is a hot topic.
"It’s a positive talking point though, as this tricky subject of "the wrong brow" can be discussed for a better outcome. Brow blindness has been around for decades – you only need to look at your old passport photos for proof!"
How do you explain to a client that they might have brow blindness?
"The only way to tactfully explain to your clients that their brows don’t suit them (or they have brow blindness) is to demonstrate with makeup the difference that can be made by changing the shape, colour, start, finish and upper arch measurements and explain why you would do this.
"Showing the difference and explaining why may help them to morph into an eyebrow that suits them and sits perfectly on their face.
"You may not achieve this in one session, but tactfully pointing out the things that can be improved with their brows will open a discussion and is a good starting point. If your client is adamant on a particular brow style, it's up to you as a brow tech and professional whether you want to treat them or not.
"I find a halfway house of doing what you know needs to be done and giving them a bit of what they want usually works."
When does brow blindness most-often occur?
"Brow blindness can occur at any time, but it usually occurs when someone wants to get in on a trend. Social media is largely to blame for this.
"At the other end of the scale is the older client who has had bad brows for decades and has learned to live with them. Again, by explaining your mapping rules and what needs to be changed (usually from overplucking their brows in the past – another brow faux pas).
"Brow serums and new growth enhancers can be used to encourage a sparse brow to grow back but this can take a lot of time.
"Giving a small lesson in make-up for the brows may be the way forward with this type of client unless they are interested in permanent make-up."
How can you prevent teens from having brow blindness?
"Sometimes the only way to prevent brow blindness in teens is to highlight our own brow mistakes by admitting that we were all young once and fell foul to a brow trend like over-tweezing in the '80s or '00s, but many teens might think that you’re out of touch with fashion and their way is the only way."
Are there any current trends that people could regret in the future?
"One treatment that some people may regret in the future is microblading/SPMU, as clients have to maintain these procedures to keep the colour fresh, and the brows that suited them in their 20s may not suit them as they age.
"They also need to consider fading/discolouring pigments and if you have muscle-relaxing injections as you age – this can lower your brows and make them uneven."
Which is the most common brow faux pas that could be brow blindness?
"Black brows on a pale skin. Over tweezed brows with a too high arch. Brows cemented to the face and brushed up too high. Un-done brows that are too ‘relaxed’. Super thin brows that never want to grow back AKA Ronald McDonald brows, the list can go on.
"In a nutshell, encourage clients to keep brows as natural as possible – neat, fitting their face and professionally coloured/laminated… don’t let them become a brow fashion victim!"
What brow trends should you encourage customers to have, so they don’t have brow blindness?
"There is a much more 'toned down' version of brows this year when it comes to brow styling. The very bushy and brushed-up brows, which we saw last year, have taken on a much more natural and manageable brow.
"Brow lamination styles are more flattering and wearable with professional tinting using many different shades to give the correct number of warm/cool tones.
"The brow shaping of today is precise – from waxing and tweezing to remove all vellus hair, leaving sharper, well-manicured balanced brows. With minimal maintenance, these looks can be recreated daily with just a quick brush with a spooly and finished with a brow holding gel – just like a hairstyle."
What is brow shock? How can it be avoided?
"Brow shock is the result of a fast brow make over. Don’t tackle all the mistakes all in one go but concentrate on getting the right shape corrected first, followed by colour at another appointment.
"Brow shock can be avoided by taking baby steps, and if carefully approached, your clients’ brows are slowly corrected without much of a fuss.
"Making sure you are following the correct brow mapping rules, brow shock should be avoided as you will be creating a bespoke brow that fits your clients perfectly."